21581 - SCTE Broadband August2022 COMPLETE v1

20 Vol. 44 No. 3 - September 2022 Issue ought to have at their disposal. Duplicate accounts are a likely outcome instead. Jared Newman has a few thoughts on this. “I’m unusually paranoid about being locked into technology,” he told Broadband. “Handing over passwords to a huge company so they become a single ‘passkey’ that we never see means they are taking control out of the hands of the user and into the hands of the platform itself. I’m uncomfortable with this. I want to be able to move from Android to iPhone, from Microsoft to Apple freely.” As the user is after all paying for this privilege, it is a fair point, and not an unreasonable expectation. Does he think there is some malevolent intent going on behind the scenes? “The quantity and reputation of the stakeholders within the FIDO Alliance means probably not, so we have reason to be optimistic. FIDO have however also stated that locking people in is more related to security and they are working on a ‘future iteration’ making it easier, but they haven’t exactly pinpointed a date when that future iteration will be available. It isn’t in the interests of Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and so on to do so.” Jared feels there is a conflict of interest at work, with the end-user feeling the pain. Rather like the recent Long Read on the Internet of Things, which explored the degree to which the user is happy to part with their own personal data in exchange for Alexa turning the lights on and playing their favourite radio station, the handing over of our password manager to a faceless corporation could have ramifications down the line, if anyone can be bothered to investigate it more closely. The likelihood is, most of us will tick yes to the terms and conditions and get on with our day. The scenario painted overall is emblematic of the evolution of the Internet itself. Unfeasibly vast, almost indefinable, owned by nobody, completely unregulated but despite everything, widely acknowledged to be a force for good. It is heartening to see Big Tech and FIDO grappling with internet security as part of a broader initiative to reduce cyber-crime and implement some global standards, but it is equally understandable why it’s taken nearly ten years for FIDO to get this far. In researching their achievements, one has a clear sense of a salmon swimming upstream throughout. The trickle-down positive effects of FIDO’s efforts will be welcomed but it may take yet another ten years, plenty of confused dads like Pete’s along the way and millions of frustrated iPhone users tied to handsets they can’t easily escape from in the meantime for the wrinkles to be ironed out. On a more positive note, ten years might see the upside- down economics currently facing less developed countries right themselves sufficiently to take advantage of the efforts FIDO is making on a local level. FIDO’s ambitions are laudable, and they must be recognised for the work they have done in this area so far to regulate the hacking that causes pain and suffering to millions of hapless users every day. The Internet was an unplanned initiative and has ballooned in a very short space of time. The grandfathers of its evolution are still very much with us, and not even elderly men themselves yet. Taking a step back to evaluate its history and development, FIDO’s work is a vital foundation that will build on itself and prove its value substantially over time, but there are hurdles to get over and important questions to be answered as this process continues. scte long read FIDO have stated that locking people in is more related to security and they are working on a ‘future iteration’ making it easier, but they haven’t exactly pinpointed a date when that future iteration will be available.